pinkham



2 SheetsSheet 1;

(No Model.)

G. S. PINKHAM.

AUTOMATIG ELBGTRIOAL OUT-OUT.

Patented Mar. 4, 1884.

ffd.

n. D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. S. PINKHAM. AUTOMATIO ELECTRICAL GUT-OUT.

No. 294,404. Patented Mar. 4," 1 8844 '20 In the accompanying drawings,Figurel is A r with the cover-in section; Fig. i, a perspeccontact No.2, normally in electrical commullairrnn STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

ONE-HALF TO JAMES J.

SEAL, OF SAME PLACE.

AUTOMATIC ELECTRICAL CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed June To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. PINKHAM, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an ImprovedAutomatic Electrical Out-Out,

of which the following is a specification.

The main object of my invention is to so provide an open-circuit linewith an automatic cut-out or switch as to prevent the batro tery fromrunning down when the line becomes accidentally grounded, and to restorethe normal arrangement when the ground is removed.

A further object of my invention is to con- 1 5 struct an improvedelectromagnetic switch for carrying the above feature of my inventioninto effect.

These obj ectsI attain as more fully described hereinafter.

a diagram illustrating my invention; Fig. 2, a front view of myelectro-magnetic switch with the cover removed; Fig. 3, a side view tiveview of a portion of the instrument; Fig. 5, a diagram of thecommutator-face, and Fig. 6 a front view of the instrument drawn to areduced scale.

Referring to the diagram Fig. 1, L is the 0 line-wire, D, an instrumenton the line to be operated, (in this instance an electric gaslighter isshown,) having a ground-connection, G, through a conductor, (1. Xis theelectro magneticswitch havingtwo contacts, 2 3, lead- 3 5 ing to aground, G, through conductors?) and b, one having a Leclanch or otheropen cir cuit battery, B, and the other a blue-stone or other constantbattery, B, in circuit. The switch consists of a commutator, G, havingthe 40 three contacts 1 23 bearing on it, the second and thirdconnecting with the batteries B and I B, while No. 1 is connectedwiththe coils of an electro-magnet, E, going to the line in thisinstance. This electro-magnet acts on an armature, A, which is soconnected to the comv mutator C that when the armature isattracted bythe electromagnet against the action of a spring or weight, a or otherretractor, the

; nicationwithfNo l, will brought into con- Patent NO. 294,404, datedMarch 4, 1884:.

14, 1883. (No model.)

tact with an insulated space and cut-out of circuit, while No. 3,normally 011 an insulated space on the commutator, will be brought intoelectrical communication with No. 1. Under normal conditions thecommutator is in the 5 5 position shown in the drawings, with theLeclanch or similar open-circuit battery, B, to the line and theblue-stone or constant battery B out; but should the line be grounded,the closure of the circuit will cause the attraction of the armature Aby the electro-magnet E, whereby the commutator G will be so turned orotherwise moved as to bring the contact 2 onto an insulated portion ofits face, while No. 3 is brought onto ametallic portion thereof, andintoelectrical connection with No. 1 and the line. Thus the open-circuitbattery B is cut out and the constant battery B is throwninto the closedcircuit, and the latter will so remain as long as the line is grounded,but when the ground is removed the armature will be relieved from theattraction of the electro-magnet and withdrawn by the retractor, so asto move the commutator C back to the position shown in Fig.

1, with'the battery B cut out and the battery B reinstated, ready foruse for operating the instrument D. By this means the inconstant batteryB will be saved from polarization by the accidental grounding of theline, and will be kept off the line so long as the ground remains, owingto the employment of the battery B in the circuit, while the battery Bis automatically reinstated when the line is cleared.

It will be understood that the operation of the instrument orinstruments D(electric gas- 8 5 lighter or 'signaling-instrument, forinstance) will cause the closing of the circuit and attraction of thearmature A by the electro-mag et to operate the commutator, but this isimmaterial, as the battery Bis always automatically o reinstated as soonas the line-circuit is opened,

and under ordinary circumstances the closure of the circuit to operatethe instrument D is so momentary as to merely cause afluctuation of thearmature A without moving the commu- 5 tator far enough to change thecircuits, and

for this purpose I combine with the commutator a device for retardingand steadying its movement, as hereinafter described.

The connections of the automatic cut-out to the line and to the groundmay be reversed, if desired, without changing the operation or result.Thus the united ends of the conductors Z) I), with their respectivebatteries B B, may be connected to the line, while the contact 1 throughthe coils E is connected to the ground.

I will now proceed to describe the detailed construction of myelectromagnetic switch I use in carrying out the above-described featureof my invention.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, M is abase-board, to which is secured theframe M, carrying the electro-magnetic coils E, one terminal of which isconnected, as indicated by dotted lines, to the bindingpost at, whilethe other terminal is connected to the springcontaet 1, carried by theinsulatioirpost F, Figs. 2 and 4. To the same insulation-post, F, aresecured the other two springcontacts, 2 and 3, electrically connected tobinding-posts 5 and 6, respectively.

The armature A, mounted on pivot-pins on the frame M and acted on by theelectro-magnet E, is connected by a link, a, to an arm on the commutatorO, which in this caseis in the form of a cylinder having a spindlemounted in bearings in the frame M. The springcontacts 1, 2, and 3 bearon the periphery of this cylindrical commutator, which is provided withthe insulation-spaces (shown in Fig. at and the diagram Fig. 5) to comeinto contact with either the spring 2 or the spring 8, according to theposition assumed by the commutator. To retract the armature when thecircuit through the electromagnet is opened, I prefer to use a weightedarm, a, which is secured to the axis of the cylinder C, so that when theinstrument is placed in the vertical position (shown in Figs. 2 and 3)this weighted arm will tend to keep the armature in the position shownin said Fig. 2, away from the electromagnet E.

A spring may be usedin place of the weight; but I prefer the weight, asit is steadier in its action, and as the armature approaches nearer thepoles of the eleetro-magnet the weighted arm rises and offers increasedresistance, owing to the increasing leverage.

Instead of making the contacts 1 2 3 of the switch fixed and thecommutator movable by the action of the armature, the commutator may befixed and the spring-contacts be movabl fo'ver the face of the fixedcommutator by the action of the armature A.

To steady and retard the action of the switch, I combine therewith afly-wheel or fan, P, on a spindle, 2, in bearings in the frame M, andhaving a pinion, p, gearing into a quadrantal rack, Q, secured to thespindle of the commutator. It will be understood that other arrangementsof gearing may be used to transmit the motion of the armature to the fanI.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from theforegoing description.

I combine with the switch an indicator to show when there is anyinterference with the line and when the line is clear. This indi cator Ihave shown as consisting of a disk, It, mounted on a pivot on the insideof the lid N, and weighted at one edge, so as to tend to stay in oneposition with the word Clear, or a certain color or signal showingthrough an opening, a, in the cover. On the opposite side of the disk isa pin, 9', Fig. 3, in the path of an arm, 0'', on the spindle of thecommutator, so that when the armature is attracted by the electro-magneton the grounding of the line, and turns the commutator O to switch theopeneircuit battery out and the constant battery into circuit, the arm rwill strike the pinr and turn the disk R to show the word Groundfi or adifferent color or signal from what is yisible when the line is innormal working order. As soon as the ground is removed from the line,the weight g draws back the commutator, armature, and arm 0', and allowsthe weighted disk to return to its normal position to indicate a clearcircuit.

By the term open-circuit battery as used in the foregoing description Iwish to be understood as referring to the Leclanehe or other batteryadapted for use only on open circuits, and which rapidly polarizes whenused on a closed circuit, while by the term constant battery I mean abattery-such as the sulphate-of-copper battery which can be used on aclosed circuit for an indefinite length of time without running down.

In order to keep the gravity-battery always on a closed circuit, Icombine therewith a resistance-coil, T, Fig. 1, which forms a shortcircuit for the battery when the latter is oft" the line.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of an open-cireuit line andan open-circuit battery with a constant battery and an automatic switch,substantially as described, whereby on the continued ground ing orclosure of the circuit the open-circuit battery will be cut out and theconstant battery thrown into circuit, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of an opencircuit line and its working-battery with aconstant battery, an electro-magnet in the circuit, and a switchcontrolled by the electro magnet to throw the working-battery out of andthe constant battery into circuit on the continued closure of thecircuit, substantially as described.

3. The combination of an open-circuit line and its working-battery witha constant battery, an eleetro-inagnet in the line-circuit, itsarmature, a switch controlled by the armature, and a retractor for thearmature,whereby the open-circuit battery is thrown out and the constantbatteryis thrown into circuit on the continued closure of the circuit,and the normal arrangement restored automatically on the reopening ofthe circuit.

4. The combination of an open-circuit line and its working-battery witha constant battery, an electro-magnet in the circuit, its armature, acommutator operated by the movement of the armature, and contacts forthe commutator, substantially as described,wh ere-- by on the continuedclosure of the line-circuit the working-battery will be thrown out andthe constant battery thrown into circuit.

5. The combination of an electro-magnet, armature, and a switch operatedby the armature and a retractor with a fan geared to the switch toretard the action of the armature.

6. The combination of the electro-magnet, armature, commutator operatedthereby, and contacts with a retraetor and a fan geared to thecommutator, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of an electro-magnet and armature, with a retractor,contacts, a commutator-cylinder mounted in bearings and Operated by thesaid armature, and carrying a quadrantal rack, and afan having a piniongearing into said rack, all. substantially as described.

8. The combination of an open-circuit line and open-circuit battery witha constant battery, an automatic switch to cut out the opencircuitbattery and put the constant battery into circuit, and a signal operatedby the switch, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. S. PINKHAM.

WVitnessesz.

HARRY L. ASHENFELTER, HUBERT Howson.

